Alumni News
Transitions can be difficult, especially if you are first among your family and friends to venture into a new environment. Farther Foundation students have the advantage of having participated in life-changing experiences that have lasting impacts on their preparedness and eagerness to face the challenges ahead.
Froilan
#FirstGeneration. That’s how Froilan tagged his recent post on LinkedIn where he shared, “This week I achieved a great milestone! I received my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Being the first in my family to graduate from college made this journey unforgettable. My years of hard work and dedication have all paid off.”
In 2013, Froilan used his Farther Foundation scholarship to venture into the Oregon wilderness with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). We talked with Froilan to find out how that experience has impacted his life then and now.
FF: Did your NOLS summer experience effect how you approached the rest of your time in school?
Froilan: My experience at NOLS helped me become the person I am today. NOLS helped me take on leadership roles in high school and college clubs including the JROTC rifle team as captain, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers as president, and lastly my final senior design project as captain.
FF: Did your summer experience effect how you interacted with family and friends?
Froilan: I used to be very shy and anti-social in high school and NOLS helped me change this. On the trip, I met students from all over the world and worked alongside of them for 26 days. This helped me gain my confidence and become more sociable.
FF: Do you think that experience will effect your ability to transition from college to work?
Froilan: Absolutely, the leadership skills and confidence built from NOLS would work perfectly in leadership positions in my career. In the future I might not be on the perfect team; I learned at NOLS how to work around this and make any team achieve one’s goals.
FF: What are your next steps in life?
Froilan: I’m currently in the job market seeking a Mechanical Engineering position. In the future I see myself going back to school and getting my master’s degree.
Without Father Foundation, I don’t think my NOLS experience would have been possible. I’m grateful that my mentors showed me this awesome organization and I’m grateful Father Foundation was able to help me become the person I am today.